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Hi Siobhan,

Although the Suzuki would probably just about shade it on outright reliability and toughness, I'd go for the Nissan. It's a much more sophisticated device.

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Hi Mark,

There are some individual brands still offering 'scrappage' (or schemes that are really trade-in bonuses for older models). Opel, for instance, is offering 'scrappage' of up to €4,500 depending on the model you're trading in against, while Nissan is offering up to €4,000 against some models. Check with your local dealer for details, but beware - some of the deals require you to drive the car onto the forecourt under its own power...

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Hi Joan,

It's a bit of a quandary to be honest. You'll get more for the Ibiza - probably around €7-8k as a trade in. But with the Toledo costing you money, your best bet might just be to keep the Ibiza and use that as your small car, chop the Toledo in for whatever you can get for it (€2k max and that's with a following wind).

Actually, better yet, why not avail of one of the scrappage schemes still being offered by some car makers? Opel, for instance, has a good one going - up to €4,500 - and you could then trade in your Toledo against a new Insignia; far more affordable than a BMW or Audi, and with a shiny new warranty to boot. Reliable and nice to drive too. Nissan also has a similar offer (potentially €4k against a nice new Qashqai perhaps?), or potentially €3k scrappage off a Hyundai ix35?

Lots of good options out there.

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Hi Keith,

Both are excellent cars and the 175hp X-Trail's extra grunt could be very useful when hauling trees and trailers. That said, the Honda is still plenty grunty and a bit more plush inside than the Nissan. Actually this is a hard one to choose - I know from personal experience that the Honda is close to indestructible, but I also happen to think that the X-Trail is a really underrated car.

Coin toss so - go for the Honda.

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Hi there,

They retail at about €6,900 but you have to shave a good bit off that to get the trade-in value. I'd say about €5,000. Maybe even €4,900 depending on the dealer.

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Hi Cónal,

Ok, it depends what you need. Do you need to use all seven seats regularly? Get the Verso, as it has at least decent space in the third row. If you just need a couple of vey occasional flip-up seats for short journeys then the Qashqai is nicer to look at and better to drive.

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Hi Mary,

Almost certainly a Nissan Qashqai. Early Mk1s are hovering around the €6k mark now, but beware of high-milers that have suffered dog's abuse.

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Hi John,

If it's a lack of trouble you're looking for, you need to be buying Japanese or Korean. So have a look at a Toyota Auris, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, Kia cee'd or Nissan Pulsar. All of those should do annual mega-miles without trouble or complaint.

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Hi Ciara,

It sounds to us like the issue might well be with the power steering pump alone, which would suggest that it's nothing to do with the fact you had the timing chain replaced. I'd suggest bringing the car back to the garage the work was done at for it to be checked out.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Noel,

I'm actually one of the (few) motoring writers who kind of likes the Pulsar - it's not in the slightest bit exciting but it's comfy, spacious, economical and OK to drive.

The Leaf is different - it's far more of a ground-breaking car and genuinely high-tech, plus of course there's the whole concept of it being entirely free from pollution and emissions at the local level. Buying one though does mean making sure that your driving pattern and lifestyle fit the Leaf's capabilities. With between 160- and 200km on a single charge being the absolute best you can get from it, it's still really only a car for those covering short journeys and mostly city mileage. Do you regularly take long journeys or spend a lot of time on the motorway? Then the Leaf, as yet, is not for you.

Read our review of the Nissan Pulsar here